OT - Mispronouncing, against all obstacles

QuikSand · 05-01-2003, 02:28 PM

Just wondering.. we've had a variety of rants here on the site regarding grammar, spelling, typos, punctuation, and so forth. I guess they have their place.

It doesn't come up here (since we converse via the written word), but what about mispronunciation? Does that get to anyone, the way it gets to me?

Now, I'll start off by saying I understand that people make mistakes. That's really not my point. If someone incorrectly pronounces a difficult word, I might question whether they ought to be using the word in the first place, but it doesn't really get under my skin. And I'm not talking about borderline calls... whether to pronounce homage as "HOM-ij" or "ohm-AHJ" - I don't really care much. And I'm not talking about the "gotcha" words out there - like forte or short-lived and so forth. The decision there, I think, is just whether you want to sound like an effete bastard.

What i'm talking about is words that people mispronounce, and keep on doing so even after they have every opportunity to correct the error. Sometimes it's a name (that's very common), but often enough it's just an ordinary word.

Someone very close to me pronounces the name of the Syracuse basketball coach as "BOH-hime." Now, in the last few months, this topic has come up a lot... he's been on TV, he's been all over the place, and you can't be a sports fan without hearing it said "BAY-hime," can you? So, how do you keep saying it your way?

I know someone else who routinely does this with people's names. He regularly adds and subtracts letters... Mr. Wood is univrsally called "Woods" and Mr. Riggin is universally called "Riggins," while Mr. O'Donnell is oddly enough called "O'Donald." I cannot figure it out - it's not like these are passing acquantances - these are people we deal with all the time. How do you make this mistake?

Another friend with whom I sometimes lunch orders "bas-LAM-ic" dressing every day at the salad bar. Is this just a mental block... like saying "flutterby" or talking about the "toin coss?"

I know there are (well, were) some people here who are into communitcations. Along the way, have you heard any explanations for this sort of thing? Is it, like bad spelling, just laziness? Or is there something more to it?

scooper · 05-01-2003, 02:33 PM

Good post, Kickstand.

Bee · 05-01-2003, 02:33 PM

That ballsac dressing is some nasty tasting stuff.

QuikSand · 05-01-2003, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scooper
Good post, Kickstand.

You are the wind beneath my wings.

KWhit · 05-01-2003, 02:36 PM

Or our esteemed president who can't say "nuclear".

I mean what the hell does "nuculer" mean?

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scooper
Good post, Kickstand.

Thanks... I now have to steal a roll of toilet paper from the men's room to sop up the puddle of urine in my cubicle from just having pissed myself with laughter.

Anrhydeddu · 05-01-2003, 02:44 PM

Just like New Englanders not pronouncing the "r", or Southerners take a single vowel and making it multi-syllable, or Texans twanging everything or perhaps those not speaking English as the first language mispronouncing many of the odds words in our language?

KWhite and others, you have take into account dialects and regional variations. Not everyone (me including) can speak proper Queen's English.

condors · 05-01-2003, 02:44 PM

Well i am king of butchered names but in my defense i have a reason, i used to stutter (actually still do sometimes) he may have trouble with some names but instead uses one that doesn't trip him up (i don't know if this is the case with him) but i used to call my sister girl as i couldn't say her name in under 1 minute. There are some long names i need to stop concentrate and get them out quick else i start going all over the place.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KWhit
Or our esteemed president who can't say "nuclear".

I mean what the hell does "nuculer" mean?

That was my favorite part about the buildup to the war with Iraq... you just KNEW Dubya's speechwriters and spin doctors were cringing and convulsing every time he said that, no matter how many times they'd had the following dialogue:

"Umm, Mr. President, it's pronounced 'noo-clee-ear', sir."

"Right. Nookyoular. Got it, thanks."

Good times!

albionmoonlight · 05-01-2003, 02:46 PM

I think that we hear words the way that we pronounce them in our head unless we are making a conscious effort to really "hear" the words.

I have a good friend with whom I graduated law school. She pronounces most words normally, but unless she is really paying attention, she pronounces yellow "yaller." If she is not thinking about it, she will say yaller and not even realize that she mispronounced the word.

I have a vision of her at an important lunch with a client and ordering the yaller fin tuna steak. Not good times at all.

Oh--I also knew a girl in college who pronounced the chicken place "Chick-a-fil." She swears that she was not being cute--that she really thought that that was the name of the place. How she did not catch on WHEN EVERYONE ELSE CALLED IT CHICK-FIL-A, I'll never know. I share your pain Kickstand.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 02:47 PM

Personally, I still get shit for pronouncing 'Washington' funny... I say 'Warshington'... just like all good D.C. natives.

JeeberD · 05-01-2003, 02:48 PM

My girlfriend prounounces "pinch" as "peench". It rather bothers me...

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by albionmoonlight

Oh--I also knew a girl in college who pronounced the chicken place "Chick-a-fil." She swears that she was not being cute--that she really thought that that was the name of the place. How she did not catch on WHEN EVERYONE ELSE CALLED IT CHICK-FIL-A, I'll never know. I share your pain Kickstand.

Chick-A-Fil... prounounced like "chickaphile"... sort of like a pedophile? Sounds like a good place to grab some chicken breasts... or some chick's breasts...

SplitPersonality1 · 05-01-2003, 02:50 PM

Kickstand? That was very funny.

Back on topic, my most hated mispronunciation is a simple three letter that should not pose any kind of problem.

The word is "ask".

If I hear one more person say "Let me axe you a question", I swear I'm gonna go Lizzie Borden on their behinds and give them 40 whacks.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
Kickstand? That was very funny.

Back on topic, my most hated mispronunciation is a simple three letter that should not pose any kind of problem.

The word is "ask".

If I hear one more person say "Let me axe you a question", I swear I'm gonna go Lizzie Borden on their behinds and give them 40 whacks.

I pronounce it "ass." Does that bother you?

This is shaping up to be my favorite thread of the week...

Samdari · 05-01-2003, 02:54 PM

As for reasons why this happens:

As my wife was going to school, she was taught the proper pronunciation was, in fact, nuculer.

Of course, she thought this was right, and me trying to convince her otherwise almost caused a breakup in the early days of our courtship. She soon saw the error of her ways and learned never to disagree with me again. She still slips up every now and then, what we are taught as youngsters sticks with us forever, I guess. Except that part where naps are bad, most of us unlearn that one in college.

Some of my (least) favorites, most learned in the dark ages (ie the time I lived in OK):

Pacific - meaning: Intended for, applying to, or acting on a particular thing, often spelled specific.

and

Supposably for supposedly. Skin.... crawling..... must..... stop...listening...

QuikSand · 05-01-2003, 02:56 PM

Okay, Anhrydeddu, I'll bite.

I understand dialects. Got it - some people pronounce certain letters or certain phonics in one way, different than other people. I understand that phenomenon - and that's not what I'm trying to talk about here.

Isn't there a fundamental difference between two people saying "car" and "cah" (dialiectical difference) and two people saying "nool-lee-ar" and "nook-yoo-ler" (simply a matter of correct versus incorrect)? I mean, when you get to the point when you actually pronounce the letters out of order, haven't you gone beyond just regionalism and local color, and into the land of just flat-out being wrong?

(I can't do much with February, though... and comfortable isn't much better...)

Fritz · 05-01-2003, 02:58 PM

maybe the words are spelled wrong

superbama · 05-01-2003, 03:00 PM

Mine word is Valentine. I always call it Valentime's day. It drives my wife crazy.

QuikSand · 05-01-2003, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
The word is "ask".

Ahhh, a complicated one. I know quite a number of people, including some rather well-educated, successful, and fairly erudite people, who will pronounce that word "axe" 100% of the time. And you already know what they all have in common.

I honestly don't know whether this is just another case of what i'm talkin about, or if there's something more to it. I can't find any cultural or social connection to any other examples of the kind of thing I'm intending to address.

revrew · 05-01-2003, 03:02 PM

I used to mind the "axe" thing, until one time I was in a prayer group with this passionate, young black man. He started "axing God" for this and "axing God" for that.

At first I had to suppress a snicker, but as he got rollin', crying out to God like the desperate fool we all are and still clinging to faith and trust and the goodness of God like a drowning man clings to a board, and as he started to shout and plead and cry (you gotta understand, I'm a pasty white boy who grew up Catholic in podunk, Iowa), it was so enrapturing and inspiring I thought when he was done that God was gonna bust right through the ceiling and split the Red Sea all at once. By the time he was done I thought, "You know what, brother? You just go right ahead and axe God for anything you want, because with a heart like that, you know God is listenin' when you start axin'"

Every now and then, when I'm hurting and desperate, I throw up an axe, just to remember that day.

QuikSand · 05-01-2003, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by albionmoonlight
IOh--I also knew a girl in college who pronounced the chicken place "Chick-a-fil." She swears that she was not being cute--that she really thought that that was the name of the place. How she did not catch on WHEN EVERYONE ELSE CALLED IT CHICK-FIL-A, I'll never know. I share your pain Kickstand.

This is another dead-on example of what I'm talking about. Honestly, now, wouldn't you eventually wonder why everyone else is saying it wrong, and do something radical like look at the sign?

Of course, I never noticed the third "l" in Rexalll's handle, so who am I to say, I suppose.

Marmel · 05-01-2003, 03:03 PM

That guy Rome on ESPN pronounces Boeheim's name Bo-Heim, but he does it on purpose, thinking that he is insulting the man.

By the way, that Kickstand comment was outstanding. Funniest thing posted here since The Afoci's Hornsmaniac_2 story!

digamma · 05-01-2003, 03:05 PM

I guess this is somewhat related, but I hate it when people leave out articles that should be present.

For example:
"If we win this game, we'll make play-offs." (instead of the play-offs)

scooper · 05-01-2003, 03:07 PM

I have one word that I mispronounce regularly: capture. I say "kepture." My wife finds it amusing. During our marathon war news viewings, she pointed out to me every time a reporter correctly pronunciated the capture of Iraqi cities or prisoners.

SplitPersonality1 · 05-01-2003, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by revrew
I used to mind the "axe" thing, until one time I was in a prayer group with this passionate, young black man. He started "axing God" for this and "axing God" for that.

At first I had to suppress a snicker, but as he got rollin', crying out to God like the desperate fool we all are and still clinging to faith and trust and the goodness of God like a drowning man clings to a board, and as he started to shout and plead and cry (you gotta understand, I'm a pasty white boy who grew up Catholic in podunk, Iowa), it was so enrapturing and inspiring I thought when he was done that God was gonna bust right through the ceiling and split the Red Sea all at once. By the time he was done I thought, "You know what, brother? You just go right ahead and axe God for anything you want, because with a heart like that, you know God is listenin' when you start axin'"

Every now and then, when I'm hurting and desperate, I throw up an axe, just to remember that day.

Thanks for the story revrew. "Axe" may still bother me, but I will try to remember this story and get a smile out of it instead of a cringe.

scooper · 05-01-2003, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by digamma
I guess this is somewhat related, but I hate it when people leave out articles that should be present.

For example:
"If we win this game, we'll make play-offs." (instead of the play-offs)

I wouldn't know about that one. I live in Cincinnati.

edit: removed a dola.

digamma · 05-01-2003, 03:09 PM

One more...
My mom pronounces Massachusetts "Mass-a-TU-setts." Drives me nuts.

Craptacular · 05-01-2003, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by QuikSand
two people saying "nool-lee-ar" and "nook-yoo-ler" (simply a matter of correct versus incorrect)

Which one of those is correct? My old car is dying. I should go get a newlier one.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 03:12 PM

I'm going to call QuikSand "Kickstand" from now on... just because the residual humor will always warm my bowels.

JeeberD · 05-01-2003, 03:14 PM

My mom pronounces lawyer as "Law-Yer" instead of "Loy-Yer". She always said that she was just pronouncing it as it was spelled...

Anrhydeddu · 05-01-2003, 03:14 PM

Switching sounds or syllables is a common speech impediment and one of the causes of mispronounciations. Other speech impeditments, which I have because of my hearing, relate to leaving off endings or unability pronounce seemingly easy words (I can't say horror, for example). A better example is my little boy who has speech apraxia - difficulty in pronouncing a combination of multisyllable words. It is not a sign of uneducation or stupidity to mispronounce words.

But back to your question. Your earlier examples do not point to pronouncing the letters out of order. I pronounce our esteem coach as Bo-heim since that's the way I read it (I only heard it Bay-heim a few times that I could) but will likely say Bo-heim on occassion since it was a habit. Adding "s" to endings can be a borderline dialect issue (along the lines of pronouncing yellow as yaller), and for some others, leaving off the "s" is known. But for many, it is the weakness in spelling in pronouncing words since if you don't know how to spell balsamic, it would be hard to phonetically sound it out.

It may be a correct phonetically way of pronouncing each word but for a variety of reasons, we all do not (or are not) able to do so. Just some thoughts.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
Switching sounds or syllables is a common speech impediment and one of the causes of mispronounciations. Other speech impeditments, which I have because of my hearing, relate to leaving off endings or unability pronounce seemingly easy words (I can't say horror, for example). A better example is my little boy who has speech apraxia - difficulty in pronouncing a combination of multisyllable words. It is not a sign of uneducation or stupidity to mispronounce words.

But back to your question. Your earlier examples do not point to pronouncing the letters out of order. I pronounce our esteem coach as Bo-heim since that's the way I read it (I only heard it Bay-heim a few times that I could) but will likely say Bo-heim on occassion since it was a habit. Adding "s" to endings can be a borderline dialect issue (along the lines of pronouncing yellow as yaller), and for some others, leaving off the "s" is known. But for many, it is the weakness in spelling in pronouncing words since if you don't know how to spell balsamic, it would be hard to phonetically sound it out.

It may be a correct phonetically way of pronouncing each word but for a variety of reasons, we all do not (or are not) able to do so. Just some thoughts.

All this from a guy who calls himself "Anrhydeddu."

Enunciate that, you phonetic bastards.

scooper · 05-01-2003, 03:19 PM

Oh yeah, that's another one. I often mispronounce Anrhydeddu.

scooper · 05-01-2003, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Franklinnoble
All this from a guy who calls himself "Anrhydeddu."

Enunciate that, you phonetic bastards.

Arrrgggghhhh!!! You beat me to it!

Anrhydeddu · 05-01-2003, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JeeberD
My mom pronounces lawyer as "Law-Yer" instead of "Loy-Yer". She always said that she was just pronouncing it as it was spelled...

Either one is correct according to the dictionary.

revrew brings about a key points and this is cultural. This goes along with dialect where the black community has always had the own pronounciations on many words (axe for axe is a perfect example). Are you saying that it is wrong?

Now, I wouldn't go so far as the ridiculous hiphop/rap-speak or kewl d00d-speak because those are mostly for show or an act. But I do think there is a fine line between an act and culture.

Craptacular · 05-01-2003, 03:20 PM

We should just call him Honor. Maybe he can be the next Bond girl.

Franklinnoble · 05-01-2003, 03:21 PM

I'm in the zone with this thread, baby... you can't stop me, you can only hope to contain me.

GrantDawg · 05-01-2003, 03:21 PM

My dad always pronounced Canada as "Canider." He also pronounced Toyota as "Tyota." Why? I have no idear.

Anrhydeddu · 05-01-2003, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scooper
Oh yeah, that's another one. I often mispronounce Anrhydeddu.

How can it be mispronounced when no one here (including me) can pronounce it 'correctly' in the first place?

Ksyrup · 05-01-2003, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by QuikSand
The decision there, I think, is just whether you want to sound like an effete bastard.

How do you prounce that?

My wife and I go back and forth on a couple of words:

"Buried" - I pronounce it "bare-ied," she pronounces it "burr-ied." I think she's right, but I don't care. It drives me effin nuts and I make fun of her every time she says it.

"Dawn" - her sister's name. I can't really describe how each of us pronounces it exactly, but my pronunciation is closer to "don," and hers is closer to "done." I pronounce it "normally," she uses almost a "long O" sound in the middle.

"Egg" - I pronounce it "a-gg," she prounces it "eh-gg." Again, another one I think she's technicall right on, but it sounds Subby.

What about people who still can't pronouce library or February? I have very little patience for that, since that was something that everyone learned in 2nd grade.

Good topic Kickstand! It's not often that someone nearing 10,000 posts gets a new nickname that is sure to stick. On that basis alone, this thread is a classic.

See? Who needs HM...

Marmel · 05-01-2003, 03:26 PM

Ahnrydeddu is pronounced 'Buccaneer'

Ksyrup · 05-01-2003, 03:29 PM

On a somewhat related topic, my 3 year old last night tried to say "jump rope" and it came out as "rump hope."

I haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile.

Butter · 05-01-2003, 03:30 PM

Hearing sports announcers mainly say, "he needs to get untracked".

That's "on track". He needs to get "on track". If you got untracked, you'd be getting off track, wouldn't you?

That makes my skin crawl. Of course, this is not a mispronounciation, but rather, a mis-usage. That right there is some good grammar, too.

Qwikshot · 05-01-2003, 03:30 PM

In my area, we would pronouce water as "wuter" when I went to college just a mear 3/4 hours away, it was "wah-ter".

I remember a girl from my class lived in the same area as me, she ordered a glass of water and the waiter looked at her funny, so she said "Excuse me, wah-ter" and all was well.

Bee · 05-01-2003, 03:30 PM

I think the only thing worse than my pronunciation is my grammar and spelling.

Just axe anyone who knows me.

scooper · 05-01-2003, 03:31 PM

Speaking of Cincinnati (well, I spoke of it anyway) many eldery men around here pronounce it Cincinnatuh. Oddly enough, it was not passed down.

JeeberD · 05-01-2003, 03:32 PM

Quote:

"Buried" - I pronounce it "bare-ied," she pronounces it "burr-ied." I think she's right, but I don't care. It drives me effin nuts and I make fun of her every time she says it

I also pronounce it "bare-ied", don't think "burr-ied" is correct...

Quote:

"Dawn" - her sister's name. I can't really describe how each of us pronounces it exactly, but my pronunciation is closer to "don," and hers is closer to "done." I pronounce it "normally," she uses almost a "long O" sound in the middle.

Once again, I agree with you on this one.

Quote:

"Egg" - I pronounce it "a-gg," she prounces it "eh-gg." Again, another one I think she's technicall right on, but it sounds Subby.

Agg? Sorry, but "eh-gg" is right on this one...

Quote:

What about people who still can't pronouce library or February? I have very little patience for that, since that was something that everyone learned in 2nd grade.

Yeah, nothing drives me more crazy than someone saying "Liberry"...

Ksyrup · 05-01-2003, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Butter_of_69
Hearing sports announcers mainly say, "he needs to get untracked".

Or what about someone who says that another person lacks "tack." Uh, that's tact.

Bee · 05-01-2003, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scooper
Speaking of Cincinnati (well, I spoke of it anyway) many eldery men around here pronounce it Cincinnatuh. Oddly enough, it was not passed down.

I always pronounced it sewer...but that's just me.

05-01-2003, 02:48 PM	#12
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	My girlfriend prounounces "pinch" as "peench". It rather bothers me... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

05-01-2003, 02:54 PM	#16
Samdari Roster Filler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Cicero	As for reasons why this happens: As my wife was going to school, she was taught the proper pronunciation was, in fact, nuculer. Of course, she thought this was right, and me trying to convince her otherwise almost caused a breakup in the early days of our courtship. She soon saw the error of her ways and learned never to disagree with me again. She still slips up every now and then, what we are taught as youngsters sticks with us forever, I guess. Except that part where naps are bad, most of us unlearn that one in college. Some of my (least) favorites, most learned in the dark ages (ie the time I lived in OK): Pacific - meaning: Intended for, applying to, or acting on a particular thing, often spelled specific. and Supposably for supposedly. Skin.... crawling..... must..... stop...listening... __________________ http://www.nateandellie.net Now featuring twice the babies for the same low price!

05-01-2003, 02:58 PM	#18
Fritz Lethargic Hooligan Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing	maybe the words are spelled wrong __________________ donkey, donkey, walk a little faster

05-01-2003, 03:02 PM	#21
revrew Team Chaplain Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Just outside Des Moines, IA	I used to mind the "axe" thing, until one time I was in a prayer group with this passionate, young black man. He started "axing God" for this and "axing God" for that. At first I had to suppress a snicker, but as he got rollin', crying out to God like the desperate fool we all are and still clinging to faith and trust and the goodness of God like a drowning man clings to a board, and as he started to shout and plead and cry (you gotta understand, I'm a pasty white boy who grew up Catholic in podunk, Iowa), it was so enrapturing and inspiring I thought when he was done that God was gonna bust right through the ceiling and split the Red Sea all at once. By the time he was done I thought, "You know what, brother? You just go right ahead and axe God for anything you want, because with a heart like that, you know God is listenin' when you start axin'" Every now and then, when I'm hurting and desperate, I throw up an axe, just to remember that day. __________________ Winner of 6 FOFC Scribe Awards, including 3 Gold Scribes Founder of the ZFL, 2004 Golden Scribe Dynasty of the Year Now bringing The Des Moines Dragons back to life, and the joke's on YOU, NFL! I came to the Crossroad. I took it. And that has made all the difference.

05-01-2003, 03:03 PM	#23
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	That guy Rome on ESPN pronounces Boeheim's name Bo-Heim, but he does it on purpose, thinking that he is insulting the man. By the way, that Kickstand comment was outstanding. Funniest thing posted here since The Afoci's Hornsmaniac_2 story! __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions."

05-01-2003, 02:33 PM	#2
scooper College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cinn City	Good post, Kickstand.

05-01-2003, 02:33 PM	#3
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	That ballsac dressing is some nasty tasting stuff.

05-01-2003, 02:36 PM	#5
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	Or our esteemed president who can't say "nuclear". I mean what the hell does "nuculer" mean?

05-01-2003, 02:44 PM	#7
Anrhydeddu Resident Curmudgeon Join Date: Oct 2002	Just like New Englanders not pronouncing the "r", or Southerners take a single vowel and making it multi-syllable, or Texans twanging everything or perhaps those not speaking English as the first language mispronouncing many of the odds words in our language? KWhite and others, you have take into account dialects and regional variations. Not everyone (me including) can speak proper Queen's English.

05-01-2003, 02:44 PM	#8
condors College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	Well i am king of butchered names but in my defense i have a reason, i used to stutter (actually still do sometimes) he may have trouble with some names but instead uses one that doesn't trip him up (i don't know if this is the case with him) but i used to call my sister girl as i couldn't say her name in under 1 minute. There are some long names i need to stop concentrate and get them out quick else i start going all over the place.

05-01-2003, 02:46 PM	#10
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	I think that we hear words the way that we pronounce them in our head unless we are making a conscious effort to really "hear" the words. I have a good friend with whom I graduated law school. She pronounces most words normally, but unless she is really paying attention, she pronounces yellow "yaller." If she is not thinking about it, she will say yaller and not even realize that she mispronounced the word. I have a vision of her at an important lunch with a client and ordering the yaller fin tuna steak. Not good times at all. Oh--I also knew a girl in college who pronounced the chicken place "Chick-a-fil." She swears that she was not being cute--that she really thought that that was the name of the place. How she did not catch on WHEN EVERYONE ELSE CALLED IT CHICK-FIL-A, I'll never know. I share your pain Kickstand.

05-01-2003, 02:47 PM	#11
Franklinnoble Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Placerville, CA	Personally, I still get shit for pronouncing 'Washington' funny... I say 'Warshington'... just like all good D.C. natives.

05-01-2003, 02:50 PM	#14
SplitPersonality1 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Grafton, WI	Kickstand? That was very funny. Back on topic, my most hated mispronunciation is a simple three letter that should not pose any kind of problem. The word is "ask". If I hear one more person say "Let me axe you a question", I swear I'm gonna go Lizzie Borden on their behinds and give them 40 whacks.

05-01-2003, 02:56 PM	#17
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Okay, Anhrydeddu, I'll bite. I understand dialects. Got it - some people pronounce certain letters or certain phonics in one way, different than other people. I understand that phenomenon - and that's not what I'm trying to talk about here. Isn't there a fundamental difference between two people saying "car" and "cah" (dialiectical difference) and two people saying "nool-lee-ar" and "nook-yoo-ler" (simply a matter of correct versus incorrect)? I mean, when you get to the point when you actually pronounce the letters out of order, haven't you gone beyond just regionalism and local color, and into the land of just flat-out being wrong? (I can't do much with February, though... and comfortable isn't much better...)

05-01-2003, 03:00 PM	#19
superbama H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Seattle ,Wa	Mine word is Valentine. I always call it Valentime's day. It drives my wife crazy.

05-01-2003, 03:05 PM	#24
digamma Torchbearer Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: On Lake Harriet	I guess this is somewhat related, but I hate it when people leave out articles that should be present. For example: "If we win this game, we'll make play-offs." (instead of the play-offs)

05-01-2003, 03:07 PM	#25
scooper College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cinn City	I have one word that I mispronounce regularly: capture. I say "kepture." My wife finds it amusing. During our marathon war news viewings, she pointed out to me every time a reporter correctly pronunciated the capture of Iraqi cities or prisoners.

05-01-2003, 03:09 PM	#28
digamma Torchbearer Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: On Lake Harriet	One more... My mom pronounces Massachusetts "Mass-a-TU-setts." Drives me nuts.

05-01-2003, 03:12 PM	#30
Franklinnoble Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Placerville, CA	I'm going to call QuikSand "Kickstand" from now on... just because the residual humor will always warm my bowels.

05-01-2003, 03:14 PM	#31
JeeberD General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Town of Flower Mound	My mom pronounces lawyer as "Law-Yer" instead of "Loy-Yer". She always said that she was just pronouncing it as it was spelled... __________________ UTEP Miners!!! I solemnly swear to never cheer for TO

05-01-2003, 03:19 PM	#34
scooper College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cinn City	Oh yeah, that's another one. I often mispronounce Anrhydeddu. Last edited by scooper : 05-01-2003 at 03:19 PM.

05-01-2003, 03:20 PM	#37
Craptacular College Starter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Mad City, WI	We should just call him Honor. Maybe he can be the next Bond girl.

05-01-2003, 03:21 PM	#38
Franklinnoble Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Placerville, CA	I'm in the zone with this thread, baby... you can't stop me, you can only hope to contain me.

05-01-2003, 03:21 PM	#39
GrantDawg World Champion Mis-speller Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Covington, Ga.	My dad always pronounced Canada as "Canider." He also pronounced Toyota as "Tyota." Why? I have no idear.

05-01-2003, 03:26 PM	#42
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	Ahnrydeddu is pronounced 'Buccaneer' __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions." Last edited by Marmel : 05-01-2003 at 03:26 PM.

05-01-2003, 03:29 PM	#43
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	On a somewhat related topic, my 3 year old last night tried to say "jump rope" and it came out as "rump hope." I haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

05-01-2003, 03:30 PM	#44
Butter Coordinator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dayton, OH	Hearing sports announcers mainly say, "he needs to get untracked". That's "on track". He needs to get "on track". If you got untracked, you'd be getting off track, wouldn't you? That makes my skin crawl. Of course, this is not a mispronounciation, but rather, a mis-usage. That right there is some good grammar, too. __________________ My listening habits

05-01-2003, 03:30 PM	#45
Qwikshot Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: ...down the gravity well	In my area, we would pronouce water as "wuter" when I went to college just a mear 3/4 hours away, it was "wah-ter". I remember a girl from my class lived in the same area as me, she ordered a glass of water and the waiter looked at her funny, so she said "Excuse me, wah-ter" and all was well. __________________ "General Woundwort's body was never found. It could be that he still lives his fierce life somewhere else, but from that day on, mother rabbits would tell their kittens that if they did not do as they were told, the General would get them. Such was Woundwort's monument, and perhaps it would not have displeased him." Watership Down, Richard Adams

05-01-2003, 03:31 PM	#47
scooper College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cinn City	Speaking of Cincinnati (well, I spoke of it anyway) many eldery men around here pronounce it Cincinnatuh. Oddly enough, it was not passed down.

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